Washing machine



June 14, 1927 v 1,632,407

J. S. JENKS WASHING MACHINE Filed Dec. 29, 1919; 2 Shuts-Sheet 1 Fry] 2.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR m Job/7 J. Jen/rs" ATTORNEY' Patented June 14, 1927.

UlTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WASHING mnonrn'n.

Application filed December 29, 1919. Serial No. 347,992.

My invention relates to'washing machines and it has for its object to provide apparatus of the character designated that shall be simple and rugged in construct-ion and hi hly efiective in operation, particularly in t at the cleansing fluid shall be forced through and over the article to 'be cleansed with great force and effectiveness and in that means are rovided for the edective drying of the artic e to be cleansed.

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a side view, partially in section and partially in elevation, of a device embodying my inventon; Fig. 2 is a plan sectonal view of the device of l ig 1 takenon the plane lllll; and Figs. 3, d and 5 are enlarged detail views of various portions of the op grating mechanism of the apparatus of in the operation of washing machines, as used for the cleansing of fabrics or of dishes, it is essential that the cleansing fluid be circulated with great force and thoroughness over and through the article to be cleansed, and it is further highly desirable that means be provided within the machine for the re moval of the greater portion of the cleansing fluid from the cleansed article so that subsequent drying shall be a relatively insignificant operation. With these objects in view if mount an inner reticulated container for the article to be cleansed within an outer container for the holding of the cleansing fluid and if then provide means whereby said inner container may be repeatedly immersed in the cleansing fluid and raised therefrom with a whirling motion, whereby the articles to be cleansed are repeatedly and forcibly saturated with the cleansing fluid and the fluid is then forced through, over and away from the articles with great effectiveness by the combined action of gravity and centrifugal force.

By appropriate modification of this driv-- ing mechanism, the reticulated container may be whirled at high speed above the cleansing fluid and the moisture largely removed therefrom by the centrifugal force.

Referring to the drawing for a more detailed understanding of my invention, ll show a main fluid cont-liner at 6 in Fig. 1, this container having a. base 7 supported on suitable leg members 8 and a frusto-conical cover member 9; A hand hole 10 may be provided in the lower portion of the container 6 for the inspection and cleaning thereofvand a drain cook 11 is provided in the base 7 in the usual manner.

A reticulated basket or container 12 is mounted within the container 6 and is supported from a threaded member 13 passing upwardly through the central portion of the cover member 9 and projecting through the top thereof.

A bevel gear 14 is seated in the top of the cover member 9, as shown more clearly in Fig. 3, and may be rotated in a horizontal plane by any suitable driving meansoperable, for example, through a bevel pinion 15 driven by a motor 33 mounted on the machine. The operation of the machine involves abrupt changes in the energy derived from the motor and would severely strain the same in the absence of a resilient or slipping connection therebetween. I may, therefore, provide the bevel pinion with a coned seat fitting upon the tapered end of the motor shaft, as shown at 34 in Fig. 3 and hold the bevel against this tapered shaft end as by a spring or resilient washer 35.

A housing member 16 is seated upon the upper surface of the gear 14 and surrounds the screw member 13. The two halves 17 and 18 of a split nut are mounted within the housing 16 and engage the screw member 13 upon opposite sides thereof, being forced inwardly by suitable springs 19-19. Wedge members 20-20 are mounted upon re s 21-21 on opposite sides of the screw member 13 and ma portions 17 an gagement with the screw member 13 when the wedge members are raised.

The thread on the screw member 13 is preferably beveled or chased on its upper side, as shown, and the thread on the nut 1718 is oppositely chased for positive engagement therewith when the nut is raising the screw.

lhe rods 21-21 are mounted, at their lower end, in a collar 22 sliding upon a collar 23, this latter collar engaging the gear 1 1 and clamping the entire operating structure to the cover of the member 9.

lhe screw member 13 is surrounded, at its lower end where it engages the handle of the be moved between the nut 18 to force them out of enltlll ldd basket 12, by a cushioning spring 24 upon which is seated a collar member 25, and an inner collar member 26 slideswithin the collar member 25 for a purpose to be hereinafter described.

A yieldingly mounted bufi'er member 27, preferably of horse-shoe shape, as indicated in Fig. 2, may be swung in between the members 22 and 25, as indicated in full lines in Fig. 2, or may be swung outwardly therefrom, as indicated in dotted lines.

A flange member 28 is rigidly mounted on the upper end of the screw member 13 in such position as to abut against the upper end of the splines 21 when s'ufliciently depressed.

Having thus described the arrangement of apparatus embodying my invention, the operation thereof is as follows:

Upon partially filling the tank 6 with cleansing fluid and placing the articles to be cleansed in the basket 12, the gear 14 is started into rotation, carrying with it the split nut 17-18, the latter engaging the screw member 13. Owing to the inertia of the basket 12 and the drag of the cleansing fluid thereupon, the screw 13 turnsbut little, if at all, and is accordingly raised by the action of the nut 17-18, raising the basket 12 out of the cleansing fluid w1th a slowly accelerating whirling motion. As soon as the basket 12 leaves the cleansing fluid it whirls with considerably greater rapidity and the cleansing fluid is forced through and away from the contents thereof in a very thorough manner by the combined action of gravity and centrifugal force.

When the basket 12 has reached the upper limit of its travel, the collar member 25 engages the lower face of the bufler member 27 forcing this yieldingly mounted buffer member against the collar 22 and raising the same together with the rods 2121 and the wedges 2020, also compressing the spring 24 until the collar member 25 seats at its bottom on the collar member 26. These wedges are thereupon driven upwardly to force apart the two halves of the wedge nut 1718 until the nut 17-'18 is about to disengage the screw member, whereu on the spring 24 expands and drives the at faces 29 and 30 of the wedges between the fiat faces 31 and 32 of the nut members. The

nut is thus disengaged and held disengaged from the screw member and the latter falls, immersing thebasket 12 in the cleansing fluid until the flange. member 28 engages the upper ends of the splines 21-21," forcing the latter downwardly and freeing the wedges 20-20 from the nut portions, permitting the latter to come together again under the influence of the sprin s 19-19 and to reengage the screw mem er 13.

This action is automatically re ated until the articles to be cleansed ave been thoroughly treated. When it is desired'ti dry the articles, the buffer member 27 is swung to one side, as indicated in Fig. 2, and upon the next elevation of the basket 12, no motion is transmitted from the member 25 to the member 22, but, instead, the collar member 26 engages the member 23, looking the basket firmly to the gear 1 1 and permitting the whirling thereof at a relatively high rate of speed and .wholly out of contact with the cleansing fluid, whereby an effective drying action is produced.

It is well recognized that in centrifugally operating driers, eccentric loading causes severe vibration and it is usual to manually shift the articles to be dried so as to secure approximate balance before the drying run. I find that the combined whirling and vertical motion of the basket in my machine tends to maintain even distribution of the articles to be cleansed so that the drying operation may be started at any time without stoppin to evenly distribute the load.

While I have illustrated my invention as depending entirely upon the inertia of the basket and the friction of the cleansing fluid for establishing the initial relative rotation between the screw member and its engaging nut, I may, if desired, promote this action by the use of a spring 36, as shown in Fig. 1. This spring surrounds the screw 13, being attached at its lower end to the basket 12 and having a free upwardly extending upper end arranged to engage the buffer 27 when the latter 1s in the operative position. Thus the spring 36 exerts a retarding action on the rotation of the basket during the Washing action, ensuring a more positive raise the prior art or indicated in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a washing machine, a fluid container, a movable container therein for holding the article to be cleaned, means for raising the movable container while rotating it in the fluid, means for automatically permitting the movable container to rotate a predetermined amount when lifted from the fluid container, and means for releasing the movable container to permit it to return to the fluid while being rotated at a relatively high rate of speed. i

2. In a washing machine, the combination with an outer fluid container, of an inner reticulated container for the article to be cleansed, a vertically disposed screw supporting said reticulated container, a screw-. threaded member engaging said screw, a seat supporting said screw-threaded member, and means for turning said member, whereby said inner container may be moved vertically.

3. In a washing machine, the combination with an outer fluid container, of an inner reticulated container for the article to be clensed, a vertically disposed screw supporting said reticulated member, a nut engaging said screw, a seat supporting said nut, means for turning said nut, and spring means for retarding the rotation of .said inner container, whereby said inner container may be moved vertically.

4. In a washing machine, the combination with an outer fluid container, of an inner reticulated container for the article to be cleansed, a vertically disposed screw supporting said reticulated member, a nut engaging said screw, a seat supporting said nut, means for turning said nut, whereby said inner container may be moved vertically, and means for disengaging said nut from said screw, whereby said inner container is permitted to drop.

5. In a washingmachine, the combination with an outer fluid container, of an inner reticulated container for the article to be cleansed, a vertically disposed screw supporting said reticulated member, a nut engaging said screw, a seat supporting said, nut, means for turning said nut, whereby said inner container may be moved VGItl-ii cally, means for disengaging said nut from said screw, whereby said inner container is permitted to drop, and means for locking said nut relatively to said screw, whereby said inner container may be whirled by the nut-driving means.

6. in a washing machine, the Ct""11l)l1ffiili0i1 with a tub, of a cover member tnereior, a housing rotatably mounted upon said cover member, a basket within said tub member, a screw supporting said basket and. projecting upwardly through said housing, a split nut carried by said housing and normally engaging said screw, driving ir'or said housing, and means wher when said nut has raised said screw and basket a predetermined amount, said split at is opened and the basket dropped.

- 7. in a washing machine, the combination with a tub, of a cover member therefor, ahousing rotatably mounted upon said cover member, a basket within said tub member, a screw supporting said basket and projecting upwardly through said housing, a split nut carried by said housing and normally on gaging said screw, driving means for said housing, and means whereby, when said nut has raised said screw and basket a predetermined amount, said split nut is opened and the basket dropped, whereupon said nutopening means is released to permit the reengagement of said nut and screw.

8. In a washing machine, the combination with a tub, of a cover member therefor, a

housing rotatably mounted upon said cover member, a basket within said tub member, a screw supporting said basket and projecting upwardly through said housing, a split nut carried by said housing and normally engaging said screw, driving means forsaid housing, means whereby said nut may be automatically disengaged from said screw after raising the same a predetermined amount and re-engaged therewith upon the consequent fall of the screw and basket and means whereby, when desired, said screw may be locked to said nut and'housing for rotation therewith.

9. In a washing machine, the combination with a tub, of a coven member therefor, a housing rptatably mounted upon said cover member, a basket within said tub member, a screw supporting said basket and projecting upwardly through said housing, a split nut carried by said housing and normally engaging said screw, driving means for said housing, flange members at the upper and lower ends of said screw, wedge members arranged for insertion between the respective portions of said split nut, and operating rods extending downwardly from said wedge members for operative coaction with the lower flange upon the raising of said screw member and extending upwardly from said wedge members for engagement with said upper flange member upon the descent of said screw member, the upward thrust of said wedges separating said split nut and the downward thrust of said wedge members permitting the re-engagement of said split nut with said screw.

, 10. lin a washing machine, the combination with a tub, (ii a cover member there-tor, a housing rotatably mounted upon said cover member, a basket within said tub member, a screw supporting said basket and projecting upwardly through said housing, a split nut carried by said housing and normally engaging said screw, driving means for said housing, flange members at the upper and lower ends of said screw, wedge members arranged for insertion between/the respective portions of said split nut, operating rods extending downwardly from said wedge members into proximity to said lower flange when in the raised position, a buder member arranged to be swun between the lower ends of said rods and said lower flange member or to be swung outwardly from said position, said structure being operative upon the rise of said screw, with said buder in position, toraise'said rods and to force said split nut open by the projection of said wedge members between the respective port-ions thereof and said structure being further op- I of the wheel in one direction will cause said erative to lock-said screw and basket to said nut and'housing when said buffer is swung out of position.

11. In a clothes washing machine, a tub, a vertically movable and rotary clothes container therein, a vertical shaft on which said container is mounted, a wheel having threaded connection with said shaft, whereby rotation of said wheel will cause said shaft to move upwardly to elevate the container, and means whereby rotation of the Wheel will revolve the shaft when in its uppermost position.

12. In a clothes washing machine, a tub, a vertically movable and rotary clothes container therein, a vertical shaft on which said container is mounted, a wheel having screw connection with said shaft, whereby rotation its uppermost position whereby the shaft 1 will be caused to rotate with the wheel.

13. In a clothes washing machine, a tub, a vertically movable and rotary clothes container therein, a vertical shaft on which said container is mounted, a wheel having screw connection with said shaft, whereby rotation of the wheel in one direction will cause the shaft to move upwardly, and interengaging means on said shaft and said wheel whereby the shaft may be rotated with said wheel when the shaft is in its uppermost position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this twenty-first day of November 1919.

JOHN s. JENKS. 

